I'm sure all working parents feel the same way. We often feel like we don't spend enough time with our kids. In fact, this is true. We don't. I'm sure most parents have done the maths for this. For us, we get an hour in the morning with bean (sometimes less) and up to 4 hours after sundown on weekdays. Weekends are simply too short but try to make the best of it.
So back to weekdays. Oh how it drives me nuts thinking about it. Bean would rise at about 7am every morning. Sometimes she'd wake up earlier therefore giving us an hour before we send her to daycare. Lucky for us, she wakes up smiling everyday even if she's got a temperature. She'll have time for a bit of interaction with her toys and with us. It also gives her about 5 mins to be completely naughty and she knows that she'll get away with it. She'll get away with anything considering how dreadful we feel having to leave her behind for a good 12 hours (on average).
Then we have the evenings. Earliest would be 6.25 if I can leave early and traffic is kind. If not, it will be 7.30pm on average. No matter how sleepy she is, Bean would greet us yet again with a smile. She gets a bit chatty after not seeing her almost the entire day. By the time we get home, Bean will be a tiny bit restless but when she sees her toys, she can go on forever if you let her.
Then she sleeps and this routine starts all over again. So really, I know it is a fact of life to go to work so we parents can provide for our kids but at what cost? Is it enough? Work-life balance really is hard to achieve unless you are your own bos or a damn lucky housewife. Otherwise, we have to do what we do and keep finding a solution as to how we can have more time with our baby bean.
Friday, March 8, 2013
Monday, March 4, 2013
A Walk in the Park
Bean has been having on and off fever, flu and cough since forever. My main worry is the fact that she's been taking meds for way too long. She don't seem to get any better. Okay maybe slightly better. But our little trooper is a happy trooper. No matter how sick, she's always up for a walk about town. Since we didn't feel like pushing a stroller around a mall, we decided to do something different. Something fresh. Something healthy. Something that can naturally heal our little Bean.
A walk in the park was that something. A bit of sun, fresh air, wind, greens and people can make a child really happy. The sun with a bit of shade, sunblock to protect the skin and multi-layers of insect repellent ate the essentials when you decide to do this. Remember the idea here is to let your child interact with people and nature. Our little Bean had a time of her life. But until now, I can't quite figure out how she sweat so much even though I was carrying her all the way. I didn't sweat as much so that's a shame.
It is now decided that every weekend we'll be taking things outdoor. Whatever it might be, we just want our little Bean to feel and learn to know that she has a lot to appreciate for being born into this world. Nature is the way to go. Bean looks so much healthier now. She gave me a big fat hug at the end of the day. Maybe it is her way of saying thank you and only if she knows how grateful we are that she made her unplanned way into our lives. Feeling blessed.
A walk in the park was that something. A bit of sun, fresh air, wind, greens and people can make a child really happy. The sun with a bit of shade, sunblock to protect the skin and multi-layers of insect repellent ate the essentials when you decide to do this. Remember the idea here is to let your child interact with people and nature. Our little Bean had a time of her life. But until now, I can't quite figure out how she sweat so much even though I was carrying her all the way. I didn't sweat as much so that's a shame.
It is now decided that every weekend we'll be taking things outdoor. Whatever it might be, we just want our little Bean to feel and learn to know that she has a lot to appreciate for being born into this world. Nature is the way to go. Bean looks so much healthier now. She gave me a big fat hug at the end of the day. Maybe it is her way of saying thank you and only if she knows how grateful we are that she made her unplanned way into our lives. Feeling blessed.
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Cool Fever Innit!
As first time moms, we're panicky when it comes to Bean being sick. The ongoing struggle to stay calm when her temperature rises in the middle of the night or early in the morning is still something we are trying to get use to. It really does help now with our age and having friends who have gone through the earlier parts of raising a child. So while Dr. Google remains essential in this time and age, it is experiences of the "pro-moms" that proves to be of greater help.
What to do or how to do it can show 1000 over results on Google but when you post a question or alarming status about you baby on Facebook, you get great good precise answers from your friends. Best part, it works. Then of course we have our mothers, sisters and cousins to give us a tip or two. It all works. This brings us to the subject of keeping stock.
1. Cool Fever patch - always have boxes stocked in your medicine cabinet or better yet, by your bed (or baby's crib)
2. Paracetamol - syrup or the rectal application type that freaks me out a bit but it work wonders
3. Syringe - truly it says "one time use" but of course none of us actually operates a clinic or pharmacy at home so we tend to reuse but try not to and keep stock. I like the none sharpish tip. Bean likes it too.
4. Vicks or EukiBearRub - for them sleepless nights when breathing is tough, nose is runny and coughing interrupts. Tip: apply on baby's feet and put a sock on it. Baby will sleep through the night and you won't wake up cranky.
5. Nasal spray - Sterimar Baby works best to create that easy breathing passage and lightens mucus so it comes out without having your baby struggle.
I'm not a doctor and all of the above was approved or prescribed by Bean's doctor. Then again, these are the basics and might work for you too. Get professional advice first though.
Image: This is what happens when you put a Cool Fever patch into the washing machine. Cool innit?!
What to do or how to do it can show 1000 over results on Google but when you post a question or alarming status about you baby on Facebook, you get great good precise answers from your friends. Best part, it works. Then of course we have our mothers, sisters and cousins to give us a tip or two. It all works. This brings us to the subject of keeping stock.
1. Cool Fever patch - always have boxes stocked in your medicine cabinet or better yet, by your bed (or baby's crib)
2. Paracetamol - syrup or the rectal application type that freaks me out a bit but it work wonders
3. Syringe - truly it says "one time use" but of course none of us actually operates a clinic or pharmacy at home so we tend to reuse but try not to and keep stock. I like the none sharpish tip. Bean likes it too.
4. Vicks or EukiBearRub - for them sleepless nights when breathing is tough, nose is runny and coughing interrupts. Tip: apply on baby's feet and put a sock on it. Baby will sleep through the night and you won't wake up cranky.
5. Nasal spray - Sterimar Baby works best to create that easy breathing passage and lightens mucus so it comes out without having your baby struggle.
I'm not a doctor and all of the above was approved or prescribed by Bean's doctor. Then again, these are the basics and might work for you too. Get professional advice first though.
Image: This is what happens when you put a Cool Fever patch into the washing machine. Cool innit?!
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Swallow
The thing about babies is that they can't figure out how to get it out. Phlegm is thicker than milk curds. If they can swallow back mill curds then phlegm...
My dad's idea was to give up a couple of pats and rubs on her back when she coughs. It might help her cough it out. My mom says its okay, just leave it and little Bean will figure it out. My worried partner of course wants to get more medicine. I tried all of the above and I can't say that any has worked.
How do I help my baby cough it out? It hurts me that she's struggling an it pains me that my partner is worried sick. Sigh.
My dad's idea was to give up a couple of pats and rubs on her back when she coughs. It might help her cough it out. My mom says its okay, just leave it and little Bean will figure it out. My worried partner of course wants to get more medicine. I tried all of the above and I can't say that any has worked.
How do I help my baby cough it out? It hurts me that she's struggling an it pains me that my partner is worried sick. Sigh.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Coughs
I wouldn't say she's a sickly baby but she sure has her share of colds and fever. Bugs love her and so I assume viruses are obsessed with her. However our little Bean is a trooper (says her big sis) and she sure is. Smiling, laughing and playing even at her sickest hour. Nonetheless, I know it all too well. It has to get worse for it to get better. As her nose stops being too runny, phlegm shall drip to the back of her throat forcing a cough out. Too tiny to know how to properly cough, her phlegm lingers until it finds its way to her chest. Coughs become frequent and the struggle is heard. And every time my ear catches the sound, my heart aches and my soul bleeds. My daughter is my life here on earth for as long as she will have me.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Commitment
Commitment. Now that's one word I was seriously allergic to. I had so many issues with it. So many that the only way to say it was "cake". My friends still make fun of me when it comes to the "C" word. In fact, I still have issues with it. It explains why I'm "loan free" or without insurance, etc. In one way or another, I prefer clean transactions. Be over and done with as quickly as possible (when I'm done that is). So my commitment issues is not limited to relationship. It's simply wide range. Quite frankly, I've never been really good with commitments. I tend to screw it up and I still do with the bits that I have.
But all that changed when Bean happened. My 7 years domestic partnership automatically came to a new level and neither one of us was really ready. Dive in head first was our decision together. That's the moment I learned about the true meaning of commitment. I realised that making a commitment is not an individual thing. It's a collective one.
Today my partner said to me upon my confession of being a totally "C" freak after having spent half the day considering our next life-long decisions and she said, "that's why God gave you a big one because you never made any before."
She is right. Bean is a huge commitment and everything else that comes with it. There's no hiding from it anymore. I can't deny it anymore. It's time to grow up. I am a mother now.
But all that changed when Bean happened. My 7 years domestic partnership automatically came to a new level and neither one of us was really ready. Dive in head first was our decision together. That's the moment I learned about the true meaning of commitment. I realised that making a commitment is not an individual thing. It's a collective one.
Today my partner said to me upon my confession of being a totally "C" freak after having spent half the day considering our next life-long decisions and she said, "that's why God gave you a big one because you never made any before."
She is right. Bean is a huge commitment and everything else that comes with it. There's no hiding from it anymore. I can't deny it anymore. It's time to grow up. I am a mother now.
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